


Not Drowning

by torino10154



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Ficlet, Light Angst, M/M, Pre-Slash, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-07-17
Updated: 2009-07-17
Packaged: 2018-01-09 23:43:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1152239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/torino10154/pseuds/torino10154





	Not Drowning

Walking along the high cliffs, Harry sucked in a breath as he noticed a man struggling in the waves. He took off running down the path, unbuttoning his shirt as he ran. His shoes came off the second he hit the sand. He shucked his trousers and dove into the water in only his pants. The dark haired figure was going under once more when Harry grabbed him under the arms and pulled him above water.

"I've got you," he said into the stringy black hair.

"Unhand me immediately," a very familiar voice hissed and he struggled to free himself from Harry's grasp.

"Snape?" Harry said. The glare he received when the swimmer turned around answered his question quite clearly. "I thought you were drowning."

"Not drowning, _swimming_. It seems you are familiar with the concept," Snape said as he was treading water now a few feet away from Harry. "Perhaps you believed I was a maiden in distress." Snape turned his back on Harry and swam toward shore. Harry watched as his long, lean frame walked onto the beach, his dark hair falling to halfway down his back. He wore only a pair of dark pants that clung to his arse. 

Not a maiden, no.

Harry was quite thankful the water was too cold to allow his thoughts to develop any further or he might have found himself stuck in the waves for some time. As it was, he swallowed his courage and stepped out of the water. He saw Snape's eyes on him through his fringe as he picked up his shirt from the sand. Harry watched closely as Snape zipped his trousers.

"Do you always strip down to your pants before you jump into frigid bodies of water?" Snape said, as if the answer mattered little to him. 

"What? I never—" 

"Potter, I saw you once before," Snape replied without looking at him.

"Oh." Harry didn't know why he was embarrassed, but he was. Whether he was ashamed of his then skinny body or how he was nearly killed by a necklace he'd rather not think about. "You were still there then?"

"Your Mr. Weasley could not be considered reliable at the time." Snape said it in a tone of voice that suggested Ron should have been charged with dereliction of duty.

"He got there in time! He saved me!" Harry said hotly.

"And if he hadn't?" Snape replied quietly, his voice soft. Harry suddenly looked up and realized something.

"You would have," Harry said walking closer to his former professor. "You were always there to save me, weren't you?"

"Perhaps," Snape said, not quite meeting his eye.

"Then it's only fair that I return the favour and save you from time to time." Harry grinned, close enough to touch the other man.

"You misunderstand," Snape said, his voice rough. He finally looked up; his eyes were dark. Desperate.

"No, Severus. I finally _under_ stand," Harry said. His eyes must have given him away because as he leaned forward Snape pulled back.

"Don't," Snape said looking away.

"Why not? Give me one _good_ reason not to, Severus." Harry knew he was no prize, especially considering that at the moment he no doubt looked like a drowned rat. 

"You'll regret it." Snape looked at him again and Harry knew at once that he never would. He never believed he's see such emotions directed at him.

"Will _you_?" Harry asked, stepping closer once more. He ran a hand down Snape's arm causing the man to shiver.

"No," Snape mouthed, shaking his head unnecessarily for Harry had heard him. He closed the distance, pressing his lips to Snape's. Their lips were cold and wet from the water. The kiss lasted only a moment, hardly the stuff of legendary romances. 

And yet Harry was undone.

"Come back to my place, Severus?" Harry asked. When Snape went pale, Harry added quickly, "We'll just get warmed up, put on some dry robes, have a cuppa." There was no need to hurry their _whatever_ it was.

The older man seemed to consider it for a moment before he replied. 

"Thank you, Po--Harry." Wrapping Snape in his arms, Harry Disapparated them back to his cottage on the other side of the island. 

As Harry put the kettle on he thought to himself that maybe Severus hadn't been drowning exactly but he figured he'd saved him all the same.


End file.
